Consumer goods manufacturer Bidco Africa is seeking additional suppliers of soybean and sunflower seeds in a bid to steady the supply of raw materials.
Bidco, which manufactures edible oils, soaps, and detergents is looking to buy around 30,000 tonnes of soybeans and sunflower from agripreneurs across the country.
The grains will be processed at Bidco ’s manufacturing unit in Nakuru County to extract cooking oil and the cake made into animal feeds.
“This is an opportunity for Kenyans to grow agribusiness and for entrepreneurs especially the youth and women leaders who can aggregate farmers to come and grow and then we will collect it from the farms,” said Bidco group director Chris Diaz.
Currently, Bidco Africa has around 40,000 farmers supplying it with raw materials including soybeans and sunflower seeds.
Soybean farming in Kenya is mostly practiced in the western region which includes parts of Busia, Kakamega, Homa Bay, Migori, and Bungoma.
Over the years, Kenyan farmers have been hesitant to take up soybean farming despite its good fortunes, resulting in a shortage in the country.
Sunflower is grown in Kakamega, Meru, Homa Bay, and Kajiado counties, as well as parts of the North Rift and Coastal region.
The Kenya Kwanza administration has emphasised its interest in investing in agricultural productivity to counter the spiraling cost of living.
“We are reaching out to Kenyans to see whether they can be contracted us whereby we will give very attractive pricing to be able to buy soya and sunflower and especially throughout the year,” said Mr Diaz.
In 2018, Bidco signed a deal with plantation management firm Africa Plantation Capital Management Limited, for a supply of bamboo that it will use to generate power for its Thika-based factory.
The bamboo is burned to steam up water that spins turbines to generate electricity.
Currently, Bidco Africa uses up to 70 percent of its own energy generated from renewable sources.
